Devotion
by Bast Black
Summary: The Timeskip Adventure Continues! Ch 1: Yuki and Zero part ways. Ch2: Zero hits rock bottom. Ch3: Shindo's fateful decision. Ch4: Ichiru's wish. Ch5: The Hall of Heroes
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Characters from "Vampire Knight" belong to Matsuri Hino.

**Summary: **Zero let Yuki go without a fight? Not hardly. Here's the untold story of how Zero conquers his inner demons and goes after his woman! The Timeskip Adventure Continues! Ch1: Kaname's new chess match. Ch2: Zero hits rock bottom. Ch3: Shindo's fateful decision. Ch4: Ichiru's wish. COMING SOON Ch5: Escape from Hell

**Characters:** Zero, Kaname, Seiren, Cross, Shindo, Momoyama, Ichiru, White Lilly, Yuki, Maria. Zero/Yuki.

**********Note:** This is an eclectic story that takes, what I feel are, the best elements from the anime, manga, and my own ideas, and recombines them in a way that makes sense for me.

**Comment: **If you like my story, have a question, spot an error, or have a critique, please leave a review. =^.^=

**Update 11/24/10:** Happy Thanksgiving! Chapter 4 is live! Thank you Betas! *hugs* Will update with Ghost part 2 soon! == Thank you for the reviews and the favorites! I'm trying to update every 2 weeks. ^^

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**Chapter 1: STORM**

_72 hours into the future, Kuran Mansion_  
_Kaname Kuran point of view_

A clap of thunder rattled the windows. Lightning streaked across the sky. A dangerous aura had fallen over Kuran Mansion. What late Autumn leaves had remained on the trees were brutally plucked from their branches. Lurking among the barren forest on the outskirts of the formal garden was a solitary figure. His longcoat flapped erratically in the gusts like a giant black bird with a broken wing. The silvery hair of the intruder glowed briefly in a flash of lightning. His eyes flickered in the dark between the color of angry purple clouds and red of a vampire.

Zero Kiryu.

Kaname Kuran narrowed his eyes. He hated Zero. He hated giving his blood to Zero. He hated the way Zero was disrespectful to him. He hated how Yuki chattered on and on about Zero. He hated the way Zero looked at her. And he hated how he had been locked outside in the cold while Zero was the one who got to protect her. But things had changed now that Yuki had joined the Night Clan. It was Zero who was locked outside in the cold.

A woman with sharp bobbed hair and a serious expression stepped out from the shadows. "Would you like for me to chase him away, Lord Kaname?"

"No," the lord of the manor replied in barely concealed irritation. Streams of rain poured down the glass as he carefully considered the trespasser on his property. It was bold for Zero to invade his territory. The young hunter would not have dared to come if he was not fully prepared for a fight to the death.

This was not supposed to happen. Kaname's master strategy had been perfect. Three days ago Zero had been reincarnated into the most powerful Vampire Hunter alive. He destroyed Rido Kuran, a vexing problem to Kaname. Zero's reward was avenging his brother's murder and saving his beloved Yuki from the jaws of Rido. But Yuki was not his to have, she belonged to Kaname. Yuki was no longer the human girl Zero loved, her Pure Blood was unsealed revealing her true identity as the Kuran Princess. It must have been a nightmare for Zero to discover the girl he had fallen in love with was secretly the thing he hated most, a Pure Blood vampire. His threat to kill Yuki did not fool Kaname however. Certainly the conflict within Zero raged over Yuki's true nature. No one but Zero would think he was a hypocrite if he loved the gentle sweet-natured Yuki. She was not an evil vampire and did not deserve his scorn. This turmoil within him should have driven Zero into despair, even suicide, thereby ridding Kaname of the nuisance Zero posed to him. What went wrong? Why was Zero here?

"He's been out there for 4 hours and 37 minutes, sir."

Kaname fidgeted with the White Knight chess piece, flipping it left then right, then passing it between each finger with expert precision.

The gaze of the brooding figure outside remained locked on the front door of the mansion. He would probably continue to stand out there in the rain indefinitely.

"Sir, I took every precaution to hide our whereabouts. He should not be able to see past the barrier, but he appears to know we are here."

Kaname sighed and ran a hand through his hair. How was it possible for Zero to see the mansion? The entire estate was hidden behind a powerful barrier. What special abilities did a Vampire Hunter turned Vampire have? Had he made a mistake grooming a falling ex-human to be as strong as Zero? Zero's body may have been thoroughly bleached in the most ancient vampire bloodline, but his body was still human. Then again, Zero's Hunter powers were no longer fragmented between him and his identical twin. They became one, and because Ichiru Kiryu was human, the Vampire Hunter weapons could not kill Zero now. The window of opportunity had closed.

"Seiren, would you please check on Yuki? I don't want her to discover his presence."

"As you wish, Lord Kaname." Seiren crossed her arm over her chest and bowed in the traditional show of respect all vampires gave to the Pure Bloods.

Yuki had a bad habit of throwing herself between Kaname and Zero whenever they fought. Tonight, Kaname made sure she would not interfere.

"She's still under the sleeping spell, Lord Kaname," Seiren said as she returned to his side, "Do you think he intends to kill us all?"

"No, of course not. Zero is merely an angry dog, barking empty threats."

"Let me ask another way, Does he intend to kill you? You helped turn him into what he is, and then you took away the only thing in the world he truly loved."

"Yes, if he goes insane, or if I give him an excuse, he would not hesitate to do it except for one thing, killing me, Yuki's brother and sole remaining family member, would hurt her. And since Zero would never intentionally hurt her, I believe I am safe."

What Kaname didn't say, was that the same was true for him. He could not risk destroying Zero, or he would lose Yuki's love forever. What was he going to do?

"Seiren?" Kaname turned to face her, "May I ask you a question?"

"Yes, my lord."

"What is your opinion of Kiryu?"

"Hot tempered. Tortured. Determined. Loyal. Protective. Passionate," she paused, then added hesitantly, "Attractive."

Kaname looked back towards the lone figure beyond the trees. Attractive? Why would a female vampire find a vampire hunter attractive? Zero threatened many times to kill all vampires, and besides that, Zero never smiled. His glare alone was so cold, it was as if he could shoot ice daggers into anyone who annoyed him. He was thoroughly unlovable.

"I'm sorry," Kaname corrected himself, "that's not what I was asking. I mean, as a Champion, what is your opinion of him?"

"You mean as Yuki's chosen Champion?"

"Yes."

"Capable."

It was true. Zero was the ideal body guard for Yuki. Unfortunately for him, Zero was too willful to live with them in Kuran Mansion. He was not at all like his Seiren. Seiren would not try to snatch his bride and run away with her into the night. Seiren was practically invisible. She was a seamless extension of Kaname's will. She was his most trusted confidant. In this way, she was superior to Zero. But Seiren could not save him from Rido's enslavement. Only Zero could. And Kaname knew he owed a great debt to Zero.

"Thank you. That is all. Please continue to watch over Yuki."

"Yes, my lord." Seiren bowed deeply, leaving Kaname alone to his troubled thoughts.

What Zero needed was a new purpose. He was not old enough to be a full fledged Vampire Hunter. He would continue to attend Cross Academy, but now that the Night Class was disbanded, Zero did not have day class students to protect from vampire aggression. He no longer needed to protect Yuki either. Zero had no reason to live anymore other then his thirst for revenge. Kaname wished he could savor this victory over his rival, but Kaname was not entirely without sympathy for Zero. Zero had just survived a devastating ordeal. He was truly an incredible asset to him, a valuable piece on his chessboard. He needed to protect his investment. He had to help steer Zero away from a path of darkness. But how?

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**Coming soon, Chapter 2: **Rewind to three days ago: Zero hits rock bottom!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: SHATTERED**

___12 hours after Rido is defeated, Cross Academy_  
_Kainen Cross point of view_

Kainen Cross was exhausted as he stood before the door of the Cross Academy guest quarters. He was covered in the ash of vampire remains. Bits of flesh and grime stuck in his long tangled blond hair. His heavy jagged edge broadsword, inscribed with the words "Crossing Justice," was coated in dark brown dried blood.

The Hunter Association President had betrayed him. The President had collaborated with the Vampire High Council and ordered an entire battalion of ex-human Level E vampires to attack his precious school which had a human Day Class, and a vampire Night Class.

Three hundred fifty seven: that was how many vampires the Headmaster slayed today. It was a massacre right out of his memories when he was a legendary Vampire Hunter. It was a past he wanted to forget. He dared to dream of a day when humans and vampires could co-exist in peace. The school was a manifestation of this dream, and now it lay in shambles. 40% of the buildings were in ruin. Broken stones. Fallen walls. Caved-in roofs. This had been another tragic day in his long life. And the day wasn't over yet. On the other side of the door, a heart was breaking.

"Zero? Are you in there?" He knocked cautiously on the ornately carved rosewood door. "We need to talk."

Cross didn't like rushing Zero, he would rather give the boy time to recover, but there was simply too much to do and time was not a luxury. He had to act fast, because their enemies, the 'old school vampires,' moved faster. "I have a key, Zero. I'm coming in." Cross slowly put in the key, and opened the door. He wasn't sure what kind of emotional state Zero would be in. According to Aido, the notorious eavesdropper of the Night Class, Zero was last seen saying goodbye to Cross' adopted daughter, Yuki Cross, on the roof of the Moon Dormitory. He had planted a long passionate kiss on her in front of everyone. Aido was moved to tears by the raw display of emotion, but then afterward he wanted to beat the crap out of Zero for saying he would kill Yuki if he ever saw her again.

Cross shook his head. Why did Zero have to be that way? There were only two temperatures with the lad, scorching or frigid.

Zero's philosophy was simple. Vampirism is evil and must be purged from the world. That was the purpose of his life. He was born from an ancient family of vampire hunters, the Kiryu. The strongest Hunters of the Kiryu all had similar traits, silver hair and light purple eyes. It was literally part of his genes to hunt vampires down. Zero's fondest wish was to find a way to kill the Pure Blood vampires. They were the source of the contagion. Ironically, Zero's wish had been granted when the vampires made him into one of their own. Zero's first attempt to kill a Pure Blood ended in failure. He wanted revenge on the woman who turned him into a vampire. Zero's second attempt to kill a Pure Blood was a success. Rido Kuran was no match for the angry Kiryu boy. Rido had made the fatal mistake of threatening to kill the one person Zero loved with all his heart. Love is a powerful weapon, but it's also a sword that cuts both ways.

Cross opened the door. The sun had not set yet, but the room was almost entirely dark. Zero was definitely in here. In the far corner of the room, he heard labored breathing. Zero had taken several deep wounds in the battle. The smell the blood was thick in the air.

"Would you like me to keep the lights off, Zero?" Cross waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He noted that the bed comforter had been thrown over the window, blocking out the late evening daylight entirely.

Cross waited for a response. Nothing. He took a hesitant step forward. Something crushed under his boot. He stepped back. White powder. A blood tablet. In fact, there were blood tablets scattered everywhere. The room was a mess. The coat rack was laying on the floor. The bed table overturned. Chairs tipped on their sides. Blood was smeared all over the walls in a repeating pattern of the Hunter's Seal: a cross with four daggers. It's the same seal tattooed to Zero's neck meant to tame him.

Good grief.

The guest quarters was filled with expensive furnishings to impress prospective parents. Cross hoped Zero didn't cause too much damage. The troubled teen was prone to violent outbursts, but this seemed especially over-the-top for him.

"Are you okay, Zero?" Cross stepped into the room, closed the door behind him, and locked it. "It's just me, Headmaster Cross. No one else. Whatever you would like to talk about, I'm here for you." Cross carefully picked his way around the debris. "Or if you would like, we don't have to talk at all." He plopped down on the bed, and let out a long sigh.

The Headmaster could see better in the dark now. He could thank his superior Hunter night vision for that. He watched the corner of the room where Zero was huddled into a ball. Draped around him was a white sheet pulled from the bed. Spots of blood stained the sheet's surface.

Seeing Zero hiding under a blanket brought to mind a frightened child hiding under the covers, scared of the monster under the bed.

A few minutes passed. The sound of Zero's panting was unnerving. The Headmaster began to fidget. He used the expensive white silk sheets to clean his sword. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he broke the silence.

"Zero. I can assure you, no matter how many tears you shed today, you have not cried more than me. I lost everything. My ideals. A daughter. The school. The Night Class. The Day Class... It's over. My phone is ringing off the hook with angry parents pulling their children out of the academy, and that's even after I did a mass memory wipe on all but 4 of the students. I have been forced out of retirement. I'm now the acting President of the Hunter Association. I'm up to my eyeballs in a witch-hunt for the traitors among us. You're the one person I can count on. I need your help."

Zero's head turned slightly below the hood of the sheet. His face was lost in shadows, but his eyes glowed brightly red in the dark. The last bit of humanity in Zero had died today. He was now a full fledged member of the Night Clan. It was Zero who was the monster under the bed. Hiding below a sheet was not going to change it.

This next bit of news was going to be harder to tell Zero.

"The Council of Elders was annihilated. It wasn't just the conspirators that were killed, every single one of them was wiped out. There is no vampire governing body left standing. Kaname Kuran is taking over. There is only one way a vampire becomes that powerful. He must have eaten hundreds, perhaps thousands of Pure Bloods. Your sire, Shizuka Hio, was only his most recent victim. Kaname is not what he seems. He must be an ancient. It's the only explanation. He's dangerous, Zero. His wrath is awesome. I shudder to think what will happen if you go after Yuki."

The panting abruptly stopped.

"I'm sorry this is a lot to throw at you at once. I have some news which I hope will provide some comfort to you. As the new President, I have already changed your brother's status from traitor to hero. I gave Ichiru a full pardon. He will receive a Hunter funeral with honor this evening along with eight of our brethren who also died today. I received a letter in the mail from him postmarked yesterday. I would like for you to have it. Inside the letter he left a detailed list of all the conspirators in the Hunter Association and the Vampire High Council."

Cross smiled sadly. "He played a dangerous game, your brother. He was a triple agent surrounded by high ranking Vampires and Pure Bloods that could have easily snapped his neck without a second thought if they caught onto his real agenda. He was investigating on his own the wide sweeping conspiracy that included your parents among the list casualties. Ichiru was exceptionally brave. You are identical twins after all. We may never truly know what was going on in his mind, or why he did what he did. For all we know, he was competing with you the only way he knew how. He was too weak to be a Hunter, but he was a clever spy. A Kiryu to the last breath. I'm proud of him. I hope you are too."

The bed began to vibrate. It was faint at first, like a large truck had just driven pass, then it grew stronger. The bed popped up and down with a loud thud, then lurched violently to the left. A gilded family portrait of Cross, Zero, and Yuki fell to the ground and shattered on the marble floor. The sound of crackling glass drew Cross's attention to the window. The blanket hanging over it slipped loose and fell to the floor. Window panes were missing. Those that remained had cracks spreading through them like a giant spider web.

Cross had seen this before. When Kaname became angry the windows would shatter. Yesterday, when Yuki's Pure Blood was unsealed the windows shattered again.

And now Zero…?

Cross spun wide-eyed and looked at the symbols smeared on the walls. Zero wasn't hiding from daylight! He was hiding from what he couldn't control! He must have been trying, over and over, to perform the sealing ceremony on himself.

Cross quickly bent down to Zero and shook him. "Try to calm down, Zero." He pulled the sheet away. What he saw made him want to cry all over again. Zero was in appalling state. The Hunter's Seal on his neck was burning hot to the touch. It was flashing red, like a warning sign. Blood was weeping out of Zero's mouth, ears, nose, and eyes. There was a sheen of blood sweat all over him. His normally bright silver hair was matted and stained pink with blood. Zero had stopped breathing. This is bad. Very bad.

Just how much Pure Blood was inside the poor lad?

Pure Blood was a poison. Hunters were able to survive small doses of Pure Blood, but Zero must have consumed a horrific amount of Yuki's blood while she was human. When her true nature was unsealed, Zero gained tremendous power, but at what cost? His body couldn't hold that much toxin. It was starting to break down. He was showing all the signs of severe poisoning.

Cross whipped out his cell phone, "Momoyama-san, I have an emergency. Bring the car to the guest house immediately!"

He turned his attention back to his foster son. "Come on Zero. Stay with me. We need to get to Headquarters. Can you stand?" Zero began to shiver uncontrollably. His eyes rolled back into his head. His lips were turning purple. He was going into shock.

Cross quickly gathered Zero into the thick comforter to keep him warm, threw him up over his shoulder, and raced down the hallway to the car port. Zero's arms and legs flopped lifelessly against him as he ran. Cross had lost many things today. He wasn't about to loose the last Kiryu too. Not on his watch.

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**Coming soon, Chapter 3: **Shindo makes a fateful decision!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: CRUSH**

_13 hours after Rido is defeated, Cross Academy_  
_Shindo Nadashiko point of view_

With each step she took, Shindo Nadashiko was walking closer and closer to a fate that would forever change her life. She was busy rehearsing what she would say to the Headmaster. Her dark blond pigtails bounced up and down as she marched down the hall with an air of determination, but in truth, her heart was pounding. Something truly amazing happened today and she refused to have it wiped from her memory.

"Shindo," Headmaster Cross had said, "There are serious repercussions to having this knowledge. Your life could be in danger. If you care nothing about yourself, then please think of poor Zero. I know you have a crush on him. There is no one like him left in the school. How do you think he will feel if you treat him differently, or give him knowing glances that remind him pretending to be human is a farce? I want you to take some time to seriously think about this. Come back to see me this evening."

She paused at the Gothic style picture frame of the school hanging in the burgundy and gold hallway of the guest quarters. She straightened her hair, took off her glasses, and cleaned them off on the shirt-tail of her school uniform.

She had to make a compelling case so the Headmaster would not take the most important event in her life away. She had always lived in the shadow of her older sister. She wasn't as pretty, or smart, or accomplished as Sachiko. She didn't have a Valor Victorian boyfriend and an internship at a prestigious medical practice. She didn't even know what she wanted to do with her life. But that would all change as of this moment. She had a higher calling. She was going to make a difference! Shindo Nadashiko was going to join the Army of Light and fight evil vampires!

There were Angels at Cross Academy. She saw them. Last night, the Day Class had been hurried out of their dorm rooms, some of them still in their pajamas, and rushed into a secret underground passageway that would take them safely out of the school. They were told it was merely a security drill, and everything was fine. Bullshit. Something was coming up the passageway. They were sent fleeing to the school auditorium. They were told to keep their heads down, remain calm, and that they were not in danger. But the sounds of screams, explosions, and crumbling rocks told a different story. Outside the stained glass windows, she could see Ruka, the living barbie doll of the Night Class, jumping and floating on air, strange lights in her eyes. She was defending the Day Class from an army of vampires! Shindo could hardly believe it. It wasn't the revelation that vampires exist that made her jaw drop, it was Ruka. Ruka looked down her nose at the Day Class students. But that was definitely her outside fighting to save their lives!

Shindo always suspected there was something different about the Night Class, and now she knew what it was. There was nothing ordinary about them. They were all beautiful, smart, and strong. And now she knew they had special powers too. What else could they be? Of course they were Angels!

The Headmaster was obviously their leader. So she had to make a compelling argument. If she failed, her memories would be stolen, and she would go back to being little Shindo living in the shadow of her big sister. Her life would be dull and then she would die. The end.

As she turned the corner to the hallway leading to the Chairman's office, she caught something in the corner of her eye flying at her with incredible speed. Before she could turn to see what it was, she was knocked off her feet. Her side caught on the sharp edge of the hallway table, and she rolled several times before her head banged hard on the Italian tile floor.

* * *

The loud screech of tires on asphalt woke her with a start. Her glasses were cracked and barely hanging onto her nose. She was covered in glass shards and strapped tightly into the lush tan leather backseat of Cross' roaring black Jaguar. Propped against her was something large wrapped in a dark brocade comforter. Was it a body?

She looked up, pointed straight ahead, and screamed. A large truck was heading right at them! They were in the wrong lane. Cross slammed on the brakes and downshifted with lightning speed. They fishtailed 90 degrees, then plunged between two tall Victorian brownstones on a cobblestone alley. The side view mirror was snapped off the door.

Shindo's arms flailed around for anything she could hold onto.

"What happened? Where are we going? Why is Headmaster Cross driving like a maniac?"

A peacefully smiling elderly woman in the front seat, turned to look at her and patted her reassuringly on the leg. "Don't worry, dear. Master Cross is a superb driver. It's better if you don't look."

The car was rattling and shaking. She didn't think it was from the bumpy road they were on. One of the unused seatbelts was hovering in mid-air as if there were no gravity in the car. She pushed the strap down but it floated back up. Goosebumps traveled up and down her spine. Something was not right. How many bizarre things could happen in one day?

The car swerved onto the main street and took on a hill at full speed. They sailed into the air, then crashed back down. The sound of crunching metal sent her looking behind them. The muffler broke loose. She felt something wet on her shoulder but she ignored it as she saw three police cars with blaring sirens screaming up from behind them.

Shindo ducked down. Her parents were going to kill her if she got arrested. No worse, they would pull her out of the Academy!

She was afraid to look up. They were rapidly approaching the last major intersection in town. Unfortunately, it was also the busiest. She covered her eyes and prayed she would live to see 14.

Nothing happened. No slamming on brakes. No crashing cars. No police shooting out tires.

She sneaked a peek and saw Cross giving some kind of strange salute to the policeman as they zipped past. She turned and looked out the broken rearview window and saw the policeman return the salute. The police had blocked the traffic so they could go through?

Whoa! Shindo sunk down in the seat. The police. They were in on it. They had to be. They were working with the Angels of Light!

The car was now safely speeding along outside the city limits. She could breathe a little easier now. Cross shifted gears and floored the gas petal. Normally, she would be horrified by how fast they were going, but after everything she had seen today, a car clocking in over 200 miles an hour on a smooth country road that may, or may not, have a rogue cow wandering on it up ahead seemed like child's play.

She pushed the wet thing in the blanket back over to its side of the car. She dried her hand off on the tail of her shirt. Where she had wiped, there was now a red stain. Blood? She didn't like blood. She felt faint when she saw blood. She looked at her shoulder. There was a dark spot there too. The thing in the blanket lost its balance and flopped across her lap. She grossed out at the thought there would be blood all over her now, but that sentiment died when she noticed the unmistakable silvery hair of a Kiryu poking out from within the thick blanket.

Her heart froze.

Oh. God. No. Please, don't let it be Zero. She cautiously removed the blanket using only her fingertips, careful to avoid getting blood on her hands. His face was turned away from her, but his neck was clearly visible. It was Zero. She knew that tattoo by heart. She often doodled it in class as she daydreamed about being Mrs. Zero Kiryu. It was glowing. On and off. She leaned in closer to take a better look. Blood sweat was boiling up all over his deadly pale skin. She fought down the urge to throw-up, and focused on the tattoo. Below the skin surface, the ink of the tattoo appeared to be moving. It was like red hot liquid metal tracing the outlines of the design. Odd. She touched it and burned herself.

She sucked on her finger to cool it down. What happened to Zero? Why was he covered in blood? Why was his tattoo hot and glowing?

She gently placed her hand on his chin and turned his face towards her. She only looked for an instant, but it was enough to give her nightmares. Icky sticky blood was everywhere, around his nose, his mouth, and stuck on his eyelids sealing them shut.

She turned away and used the comforter to clean him up as best she could. Once she had made some progress, she looked back at him to work on the coagulated mess around his mouth. She had to apply more pressure there. Zero was beginning to look more like himself. His lips parted as she wiped harder. A long white canine poked out.

Her back went rigid.

A fang? Why did the angel have a fang? She checked the other side. Another fang. And his lower teeth had them too.

An explosion of thoughts ricocheted around in her head. She sat back and tried to comprehend what it meant. Zero had fangs like those creatures that attacked the school. Why?

An idea hit her. Of course. It was like a horror movie, Zero must have been bitten by a vampire during the battle, and he was turning into a vampire. That's why they were rushing him to get help before it was too late. The angel could be saved! Why else would Cross be driving like a madman?

She clutched the angel's head close to her heart, she didn't care if it was bloody anymore. Tears threatened to fall. Why did this horrible thing have to happen? Zero put his life on the line to save them all. She saw the whole thing. She had snuck out of the auditorium and climbed up the bell tower to watch the battle. There had been white energy pulsing out of the Angel of Silver as he faced the storm of dark energy swirling around the Rock Star from Hell. She could feel Zero's heavenly power even at the distance she was at. It was as real as the heat from a bonfire. She only needed to put her hands out to feel it.

"Hang in there, Zero. Headmaster Cross is going to get you help. He won't let you turn into a vampire."

The elderly woman looked back at her with an incredulous expression. "Master Cross, this young lady does not appear to know."

"She doesn't know?" Cross matched her incredulous tone, as the two of them exchanged a brief look.

"Know what?" Shindo sniffled and wiped her nose.

"Zero has been a vampire for four years now, dear. "

"What?" Shindo immediately released her hold on Zero like he had cooties. His head fell into her lap. "No you're wrong! He can't be a vampire. He walks around during the day, and, and… And vampires are mean and evil. Zero is not mean and evil." She paused and reconsidered her words. "Well, he's not evil! And he's not really mean. He just has to be mean to keep the Day Class girls in line."

Cross must have thought her confusion was cute or something. She didn't like how he glanced back at her and smiled, before turning his attention back to the road. "Yes. On that count you are correct. Zero keeps his fellow students away from him for their own protection, and especially you because you have taken an interest in him. Zero was not always this way. He was born a Vampire Hunter, but tragedy struck when a bad vampire murdered his family and turned him into what he is now. I have cared for him ever since. Zero has a strong heart. Despite it all, he continues to follow the path of a Hunter." Cross pointed ahead to a giant Gothic stone fortress looming before them in the last rays of the sunset. "We're here. Shindo, things will become very chaotic in a few minutes. I need for you to make a choice before we get there."

"What choice?"

"I'm sorry, Shindo. This is a case of you being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's the reason I brought you along. You see, Zero has severe Pure Blood poisoning. This powerful blood is what enabled him to destroy a King vampire. He would have otherwise failed. However, there is a terrible price to be paid for this blood. Zero is dying, but there might be a way to save him. All Hunters have contaminated blood. None of us are suitable donors. But your blood is untainted. What do you say? Will you donate your blood to save Zero?"

Shindo gulped. She looked down at Zero. He was a vampire. He drank blood. She didn't like vampires. She wanted to get rid of them. But Zero had just sacrificed himself to save all their lives. He was the guy who caught her when she fell. And now it was he who was falling. She brushed away his damp bangs. His face was completely relaxed. Gone were his normal frowns and glares. He was always so unhappy. He must have hated what he was. He didn't choose to be a vampire, but he did choose the way he lived his life. He was beautiful. And now she knew he had a beautiful soul too. He deserved to be saved.

"Okay. I'll do it."

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**Coming soon, Chapter 4: **The return of Ichiru


	4. Chapter 4

"Vampire Hunter families, they don't have twins. Even if there are twins in the womb, one will prove to be stronger and devour the other. And that's why only one is ever born. [A curse bestowed by vampires.] But both Zero and Ichiru were born, and that may foreshadow a curse of epic proportions."_ - quote by Yagari, Vampire Hunter_

* * *

**Chapter 4: GHOST**

_Ichiru Kiryu point of view_  
_Hunter Association Headquarters_

The ghost of Ichiru Kiryu whacked the ventilation shaft of Cell Block 1A in frustration. He was being held captive within the highest level containment cell at Hunter Headquarters. It was a place normally reserved for only the most dangerous vampires, the Pure Bloods. The containment unit itself looked more like a state-of-the-art maximum security bank vault than a prison. The room was designed to stop every kind of attempted escape. ...A vampire de-materialize and re-materialize outside? Forget about it. A phantom slip effortlessly through the walls? Not through these five foot thick slabs of solid Hunter Metal. There was no escaping.

The irony of his situation was that no one had realized they had snared him. They didn't even know he existed.

Ichiru touched the gleaming surface of the metal surrounding him. He could clearly see his reflection. His shoulder length hair floated and drifted as if he were underwater.

If he could see himself, why couldn't anyone else? It wasn't for lack of trying that his presence was still unknown.

In life, he had only recently put down roots in espionage. In his new existence, he had blossomed into the ultimate spy. But his ability to gather Intel was useless if he couldn't share it. Ichiru could only watch helplessly as his brother blundered into a trap. Still, when he was alive he had warned Zero to not fall in love with that girl, right?

Ichiru sighed.

The air conditioning turned on. The gentle force of air poured Ichiru back into the room he had just tried to escape. He bobbed and floated like a human shaped helium balloon tied by a long chain to his identical twin's navel.

All his life he had been obsessed with Zero. He envied Zero. He wanted to be Zero. And now whether he liked it or not, he was stuck with Zero. Did the empty feeling inside him go away? No. After being completely absorbed into his brother, he realized the truth. The Curse of The Hunter Twins was not one-sided. The grass was only greener on the other side of the fence because there was a broken sewerline spewing crap everywhere.

But he, Ichiru Kiryu, had survived longer than any weaker twin in the history of the Association. He was like a seedling withering in the dark until his cherry blossom scented savior plucked him out of the ground and took him with her. Under Shizuka Hio' s care, he flourished. Her powerful pure vampire blood kept him alive. When she was murdered, his strength soon began to falter. Suriving without his beloved Shizuka no longer had meaning. He had always been a vengeful person, so it was an easy choice to make to dedicate himself to avenging Shizuka. Rather than wait to be killed by the curse, he chose the place and method of his death. He even offered himself willingly as a sacrifice to Zero so that his stronger half could complete the mission he had failed. It was fortunate Zero finally understood and forgave him for his sins. His gratitude to Zero for destroying Rido could not be understated. He actually felt an urge to help his older brother now.

Without further recourse, Ichiru's keen power of observation returned to the horror show unfolding below him.

Bleeping monitors and medical devices were spread throughout the jail cell in a makeshift Hunter MASH unit. The doctors in white scrubs and facemasks were arguing amongst themselves, tensions were running high. In the center of the commotion was Zero, a stark white dripping red mess writhing on the operating table. He was tied down under heavy Hunter Metal straps. His ankles were shackled and linked to a long heavy chain bolted directly into the floor.

Treating Zero's condition was a dangerous balancing act: too much Pure Blood and his body would deteriorate; too little and he would fall to Level E. The very real threat Zero would turn into the most dangerous Level E alive was why he was locked down tight and imprisoned in Cell 1A.

Frankly, Ichiru was surprised his big brother had not turned feral already. Zero's ferocious appetite was well known among the vampires at Cross Academy. Every time Zero broke the school rule, "No Drinking Blood on Campus," they could smell it. Rumors travel fast in Vampire Society. Zero's codename among the Vampire Senate's intelligence officers was, "Zero The Thirsty," or "Thirsty" for short.

Ichiru's gaze shifted to Zero's little pigtailed fangirl. She lay on a bed on the other side of the room under heavy sedation. Tubes in her arms led to a machine that carefully controlled the blood transfusion. The machine was designed to prevent cross contamination. Through trial and error on prisoners, the Hunters had refined the process. A fast jolt of ten ounces of live human blood directly into the vampire's blood stream followed by a ten minute break was the only method that worked. Otherwise, a blood clot would form to prevent the invasion of "dead blood" from entering the vampire's blood stream.

Every ten minutes, like clockwork, Zero woke up and screamed. It was unnerving.

The doctors were arguing over the cause. Was there something wrong with the machine? Did Zero reject all blood except Pure Blood? Or was there something wrong with Shindo? Perhaps her sedative was triggering a violent reaction in Zero? They were busy running tests and doing diagnostics.

Ichiru snorted. He didn't need to run a stupid test to know what was wrong, his brother was allergic to silly little girls.

"Can't you do something to ease his pain? Morphine, perhaps?" Cross implored the chief surgeon, whom Ichiru had nicknamed Dr. Paine.

Paine sneered at Cross. "I'm not wasting medical supplies on a vampire."

A momentary look of shock passed over Cross' face, before it was quickly replaced with a stern reprimand. "Zero is one of us. He's a Hunter. He just eliminated a dangerous Pure Blood none of us would have been able to kill, so don't you dare talk about him that way again."

Ichiru rolled his eyes. What did the Headmaster expect? Hunters kill vampires, they don't nurse them back to health. Kaien Cross was in the minority, as most Hunters were card carrying members of the It's-Not-A-Crime-To-Kill-A-Vampire Club. His idiot brother was a member too, but surely Zero's opinion has changed by now.

There was a pen on the floor near Paine's foot. Ichiru concentrated on it. He was getting better at moving objects. The pen rattled, and then began to slide. Ichiru moved it right next to Paine's shoe.

Paine shifted his balance, and the pen rolled under his foot. He stepped forward, stumbled and grabbed a cart to stop his fall.

Ichiru smirked. He was tempted to do much worse to Paine.

Headmaster Cross began to pace up and down the room, furiously scribbling math equations on a pad of paper, erasing them, then starting over again. "I don't understand. My calculations are correct. This should have worked. The average Hunter survival ratio for human to pureblood is 32:1. But at that ratio Zero is falling to Level E." Cross groaned and rubbed his forehead. "There must be something throwing the numbers off."

"Yeah," Ichiru blurted, "like Zero isn't the average Hunter. He stole from me."

A monitor began to flash a yellow warning that Zero's blood pressure was dropping.

Paine turned to his assistant. "Prepare 20 CCs of anti-venom."

"What? That will kill him! What are you doing!" Cross snatched the syringe of sickly looking yellow fluid out of the nurse assistance's hand.

"There's no saving this boy. Would you rather wait until he falls to Level E and rips everyone's throat out first? It's better to let him pass while we still have him under control."

"I will not let you kill my son." Cross slammed the syringe down on the operating table and withdrew his broadsword. He drove the doctors back, wedging himself between them and Zero. "Anyone not interested in saving this brave young man should leave now."

A large burly guard with short spiky tan hair stepped forward, folded his arms across his chest, and refused to budge. The man looked like he could lift a train, while Cross looked like a fashion model who just sauntered off a Paris runway. Ichiru guessed the fruity freak would be pinned down to the floor in less than 53 seconds. "I don't take orders from no vampire. How old are you, Cross? Two hundred? Three hundred?"

The guy looked familiar, but Ichiru couldn't place his face.

"I am not a vampire. I am the new Association President, and I gave you an order. Did you hear me?"

The burly man scoffed. "I don't see why you're so determined to save a damn vampire. Let it die."

"He is not an _'it.'_ His name is Zero Kiryu."

"I know who he is. That brat broke my kid's jaw in the Junior Championship."

Ichiru gasped. He knew who this man was now! He was Taichi's father. The Kiryu and the Noguchi families became enemies ever since the incident between him, Zero, and Taichi when they were children.

"What are you trying to do, Cross? Groom the Kiryu brat to replace you? Are you nuts? The kid can't be trusted. He's not a Kiryu anymore. He's a vampire. V. A. M. P. I. R. E."

"Yes, but he's also..."

"No, you don't get it do you? A Pure Blood can control his mind. He's a vampire. That's how it works with their kind."

"You're wrong. Zero has a powerful will. He can resist."

With lightning speed, Noguchi kicked the sword out of Cross' hand, grabbed him by the collar and threw him up against the wall. His hard eyes on the verge of tears. "What just happened today, Cross? What just happened? I'll tell you what. We had a goddamn President who was sucking vampire blood. He was working with Ichijo of the Vampire High Council. You know that army of ex-human vampires that attacked your precious school? That was his doing. My son Taichi died today!"his voice cracked with emotion." One of your ignorant students, who you hid the truth from, snuck outside to the belltower during the battle. My son died trying to keep a pack of rabid Level Es from reaching her! You, more than anyone, should know how dangerous it is to have vampires lurking in our midst!"

Cross' mouth opened and closed. He seemed at a loss for words. Ichiru was stunned too. Taichi was dead?

Ichiru's heart sunk. It was true he hated Taichi. He thought Taichi was the worst kind of person ever. But he fought a pack of vampires, sacrificed himself to save someone he didn't even know? Was he wrong about Taichi all this time?

"Don't you get it?" Noguchi slammed Cross against the wall again. "Zero doesn't have a future. He's compromised. Let him die."

An alarm went off. A second alarm began to sound. Then a third. Zero was flat-lining.

Shit! Ichiru's gaze snapped back to Zero.

Sticking out of Zero's leg was the syringe, his hand still wrapped around it. Zero had injected the entire contents of anti-venom into his own thigh.

Cross shoved Noguchi off him. "Oh God, no!" He ran to Zero, and ripped the syringe out. "Zero? You weren't listening to these fools were you? They don't understand. I know things they don't. There are ways to beat this, I swear!"

"No," Zero whispered. "They're right. It's okay." Zero's eyelids began to fall. They fluttered back open for a moment. "Tell Yuki, I'm... sorry..."

Ichiru felt something pulling him down. It was faint at first, then grew stronger. He tried to grab onto the wall, but it was too slick. His hands streaked across the surface. Something had him. No! He panicked. He grabbed at anything he could. The force was growing stronger. The lights in the room began to flicker. Objects crashed to the floor. He grabbed a metal cart full of sharp instruments. The cart raced across the floor towards Zero, carrying him along with it. Ichiru grabbed the metal rails lining the bed. Glass was breaking. His hand slipped, and then….

An explosion of pain.

His scream echoed throughout the room, growing louder and louder.

Smells were too strong. Lights too bright. He could hear every heartbeat in the room. It was too loud, like thunder striking inside his head.

Someone was slapping him. "Zero quick! Open the seal!" Cross was hovering over him holding a metal container with Zero's blood inside. Cross had placed his hand on top of the Hunter's Seal engraved on its surface. "Only you can open it. Do it! Do it now!"

Ichiru was confused. "You can see me?" He felt so heavy. He struggled to stretch his fingers and touch the headmaster's hand. Was he dreaming?

"If you want to live, say your name. I know what went wrong. Yours is twice the power of a normal Hunter. You require a double dose. 16:1. Hurry."

He felt dizzy. The room was spinning. Darkness was threatening to over take him.

This was it. Zero's life was in his hands. What he did in the next few seconds would either save his brother's life or finally end the curse hanging over him. What should he do? Was it better to be a specter spectator than dead? To be honest, it pissed him off how easily Kaname Kuran had played his brother for a fool. The Pure Blood prick's masterplan would have worked perfectly except for one thing, he didn't take into account "The Weaker Twin."

A faint smirk grew on his lips as he touched the seal and whispered, "Ichi…" then corrected himself, "Zero Kiryu."

The seal hesitated. He worried it would reject him.

The last thing he felt was the warmth of the seal activating below his hand. Then the floor dropped out below him and he fell into darkness.

* * *

**Coming soon, Chapter 5: **Resurrection


End file.
